Federer pulls his weight, or is he pulling a ‘Sharapova’?: The top Swiss player decides to help put his country’s Davis Cup team back in the World Group (he’s done so for the last two years). The problem is, he doesn’t play the rest of the year, rendering his rescue scheme useless. But the Swiss team will have to take what they can get (and like it): R-Fed will probably pass on 2008 rubbers to focus on winning that elusive French Open title and a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. (IHT)

More Hewitt troubles: Lleyton drops out of the Top 20. So even with the change in surfaces at the 2008 Australian Open, this bump will likely not help his chances. Meanwhile, Australian TV show Today Tonightscrutinizes a $65,000 donation made by him and wife Bec to a Cambodian children’s organization.

Speaking of hate: In debating the greatest athlete of all time, Simon Barnes takes Federer besty Tiger Woods out of the running for not running at all. Who’s on top? Roger, of course.

Friendly like Federer: In this funny spoof by The Onion, Andy Roddick tries to emulate Federer by getting his own golf buddy: Phil Mickelson.

It’s not Hewitt anymore…: If Savannah ruled the roost, Novak Djokovic would have made it to that Page 2 “hate” list. The gripe? For one, his parents, Srdjan and Dijana, are overdoing the “a game only a mother could love” sentiment. (After the U.S. Open final, Diana “said that her son is ‘better’ than Federer and chalked up the defeat to a long season and inexperience.”) Why not make nice like Oracene and Snezana — just be respectful of your kid’s opponents?

Second, the impersonations. I personally thought they were entertaining, but a case can be made otherwise. Third, his injury “timeouts”. Fourth, his manipulation of the media and the tennis world, which has allowed him to throw racquets and squash water bottles with abandon (and without incurring warnings).

But we still love Nole: The latest issue of VMAN deems him a “most wanted”, along with bullfigher Miguel Abellan, and actors Jamie Dornan and Hugh Dancy (via Kenneth)

Moving at a faster Klip: Distributor Klip America — who handles U.S. accounts for Klipspringer, Sergio Tacchni, and Volkl–Boris Becker has arranged a $24 million financing deal to help boost its operations. (source: pdf)

Last U.S. Open round-up: I promise. This one’s from Pleats and Cleats. Check it out.

The gays and their tennis: In case we were confused about which rags to pick up at the newsstand… they made it easier last week. BTW, happy 40th anniversary to The Advocate! (Queerty via OTB)

A Stop in Sao Polo: The BlackRock Tour of Champions makes its way to South America (Sao Paolo) for the first time. The event will take place in late September, and hopes to nab Brazilian Guga Kuerten in future years. (Let him finish out his ATP career first — he’s not quite done!)

Dealing with the crazies: “In handwritten papers filed last week in U.S. District Court in Virginia, Jonathan Lee Riches claims that the tennis balls used at the recent U.S. Open in New York were comprised of ‘electrons and neutrons stolen from my head’ and that Venus and Serena Williams ‘told me they want to eat my head for supper.’ Riches also says he taught Venus to play table tennis in county jail.” (source)

(OT) Breaking down Brian Williams: My first anchorman love (sorry, Ryan Owens) bares all (some?) in this interview with mediabistro.com.

(OT) Sevigny at Opening Ceremony: the fashion icon recently released a women’s line. TSF’s sad that the men are shut out. But Eunice isnt. (via Refinery 29)

(OT) About typeface: A fun article in the New York Times about the typography landscape. And if you want to geek out, Helvetica, a typography documentary, is out on limited release.

Caution: the thin air in high altitudes might induce you to wear red plaid shorts.

Safin’s Spirit Quest: a messed-up Marat Safin decided to sit out the rest of the year — withdrawing from Mumbai, Tokyo and Moscow — to nurse his left wrist and shake off a lackluster 2007. He planned to be back in time for TMS Madrid.

But of course, in true Safin fashion, the regrouping involved a month-long trek up Cho Oyu, the sixth-highest peak in the world.

An expert commented on the relative ease of hiking up this mountain: “We recommend ascent to Cho-Oyu for alpinists who have not any experience on eight-thousanders. Cho-Oyu is an ideal choice for mountaineers ready to test themselves on Tibetan giants, because climbing Cho-Oyu is not technical.” (atptennis.com via MTF)

But another post on his website today (via MTF) had him reassessing the rigors of the hike. Safin has decided to turn around and make the five-day descent. “In Moscow he will meet next week with Hernan Gumy and after a week recovering from the altitude, he is meant to start practising again in about 2 weeks time. The wrist is well rested and all being well he will hopefully play again in Madrid.”

Like this:

Not to be outdone by the babes in Beijing and the cuties in Calcutta, Serena Williams put on a Catherine Malandrino for the red carpet premiere of The Kingdom — Jamie Foxx‘s latest war movie — on Monday night in Westwood (gotta love it when the glass bricks of Diddy Riese become the backdrop).

Serena’s a big fan of the designer (she’s worn Malandrino’s bright, geometric-print dresses before); this time, she chose a silver empire waist halter and paired with it some strappy Christian Louboutins.